


Prosthetic Hope

by dem_bones91



Category: Lupin III, Lupin the 3rd Treasure of the Sorcerer King
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Blue Jacket timeline prior to part 5, Blue jacket! Zenigata aka Zenigata the smart pickle, Features a bit of TLC, Features fanart as well, Gen, HM! Fujiko, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Original Character(s), Red jacket characterisation for Lupin gang, References Treasure of the Sorcerer King, canon typical loopzoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26384227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dem_bones91/pseuds/dem_bones91
Summary: Lupin has his good days and his bad days. It's inevitable his escapades would go too far and when they do who will pick up the pieces?
Relationships: Arsène Lupin III & Zenigata Kouichi, Arsène Lupin III/Zenigata Kouichi, Ishikawa Goemon XIII & Jigen Daisuke, Past Arsène Lupin III/Mine Fujiko
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9
Collections: Lupin III Big Bang 2020





	Prosthetic Hope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tico Tico](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Tico+Tico).



> For Tico Tico. Posted for the Lupin III big bang 2020.

Lupin is only human. It's only natural he made mistakes but he never thought one would hit him so soon.

He woke up lying in a bed covered by green blankets, feeling disoriented.

Zenigata came in with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He looked pale with a frown on his face.

"How are you feeling?"

Lupin chuckled.

"I'm fine but Pops what are you doing here of all places?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Lupin scratched the right side of his head.

"I'm not sure I remember."

"You don't remember that horrible accident?"

"What accident?"

"When you hit the back of the armored car. By the time the paramedics got you out of there they had to amputate your leg."

Lupin paled.

"What do you mean amputate my leg? It's fine. That was all just a bad dream."

Zenigata sighed.

"I wish it was."

"You're lying."

Lupin pushed the blankets off.

"See my leg is fine."

He gazed down and swallowed the bile which formed in the back of his throat.

His right leg was gone.

xoxoxo

Lupin was in the middle of a heist trying to steal the philosopher's stone before he was apprehended after obtaining it.

A couple of guards guided Lupin in the back of a police van parked in front of the exhibit before one of the guards pulled a vial from their pocket pushing it before tossing it to the ground.

Lupin, already unlocking the handcuffs on his wrists reached up to cover his face to avoid the gas's effects.

The guard removed their mask uncovering Fujiko's face. She covered her face with a gas mask before tossing one to Lupin.

He placed it over his face.

Once the guards succumbed to sleep, Fujiko and Lupin changed into their clothes, left the car, closing it behind them before heading back inside the exhibit.

The path to the philosopher's stone was unguarded but the place which held it contained backup security measures should anyone disturb the stone.

Fujiko lifted the glass with deft hands revealing a shimmering green stone with chiseled ridges.

Lupin reached into his jacket to pull out a brown rock around the same size. He shifted the stone replacing it with the rock in his hands.

Lupin grabbed the stone placing it in his coat pocket before Fujiko replaced the lid.

They walked brisk steps out of the room. It was better the running on the off-chance they were caught.

Still something about the heist was bothering Lupin. It seemed too easy. The two were about to reach the front entrance when a loud voice popped up from behind them.

"Oh there you are."

Lupin tensed. Zenigata was right behind them. He looked at them a large grin on his face.

"I was wondering what was taking so long. You two did good capturing Lupin like you did. He usually gives the other guards a hard time. He really must have been a fake."

"No not at all. He tried to get the upper hand on us," Fujiko said. "But we managed to knock him before he could."

"I see good work," Zenigata said reaching into his coat.

The familiar sound of metal being slapped on skin brought Lupin to full attention.

Lupin turned with a nervous grin on his face.

"Pops? You already knew about us didn't you?"

Zenigata chuckled wrapping an arm around his shoulder before pulling him closer.

"D-mn right I did. Did you think I was getting rusty?"

"Haha, no of course not."

Lupin grabbed his hands.

"It's been a while though hasn't it. I didn't expect you to show up."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Well guess I'll be seeing you."

Lupin headed off.

Zenigata reached out to him.

"Wait, Lupin!"

His wrists stung. Lupin appeared to reattach the handcuffs to his wrists...again.

xoxoxo

"Lupin!" Zenigata called out to him as he drove off in his car alongside Fujiko. Some of the guards joined him and started shooting at the thief.

Gunshots bounced off the bulletproof glass Lupin installed on his car. Some of the bullets indented the front and back of his car.

"Wait, don't shoot."

Some of the guards must have missed the memo because some warnings shots were fired in their direction.

Zenigata turned and saw Jigen's head peeking up above a yellow fiat with wide grin.

The guns were shot in his direction even after Zenigata was making his way to the nearest police car.

One of the officers came with him following Lupin in hot pursuit.

At some point their pursuit led them to a road leading to a revolving bridge built over a nearby river.

The road split off to the left parallel to the river while the right lead back to the city.

Lupin turned on the left path. He looked back relieved when Zenigata remained a distance behind him.

"Lupin!"

Lupin turned at Fujiko's voice noticing police cars forming a blockade over the road.

He made a sharp right and pulled some buttons he'd installed causing the car to be covered by an airtight cover.

By the time they were in the water, the wheels were folded inside the car and Lupin set off towards one of his secret hideouts along the river.

Once he'd got out of the car he headed into the living room before pulling out the stone he'd seized.

He tossed it in his hands a couple of times scrutinizing it.

"Fujiko, how do we know this is the real article?" Lupin asked.

"Rumors say that you can see the elixir of life slush around the inside of the stone."

"That's a shame. I think we got bamboozled," he said tossing the stone to Fujiko. She stumbled on her feet trying to catch it in her hands.

Fujiko glanced at it. There was no liquid sloshing around inside.

"I see what you mean and we tried so hard too."

Lupin sighed making his way to the couch. The pillows at the ends of the couch looked comfortable.

"I'm exhausted. I'm taking a nap. Wake me up when Jigen gets back."

He laid on the couch, resting on his side with his right arm under one of the pillows.

Hours later, Lupin jolted from his nap waking up to the sound of someone knocking at the door.

Lupin groaned as he got out of bed and opened the door.

"There you are. You idiot. You didn't tell us to meet you here," Jigen said.

"I didn't know you were coming. You never get involved wherever Fujiko is concerned."

"One of those coppers managed to hit the front of the car causing the break fluid to leak."

"We managed to get out of the car in time but your car landed straight into a ditch."

Lupin rolled his eyes.

"What's a pile of wreckage between best buddies?"

"So what happened to the stone?"

"Fujiko has it. Turns out it was a fake."

"Who told you? Let me guess Fujiko and you trust her?"

"Of course I do."

"Then where's she now? At the rate we're going she's probably clear to Texas by now."

Lupin gazed at him with confusion.

Jigen sighed.

"It's a joke. You'd think after performing a lot of heists in America you'd be able to remember one of the fifty states."

"Oh my, I thought I heard something coming from the living room."

Jigen gazed past Lupin's shoulder to glance at Fujiko.

"So you are here. If I didn't know any better I'd have thought you'd already left, making out with the jewel."

Fujiko pouted.

"Do you really think that low of me?"

"Don't be coy," Jigen retorted. "Why did you really ask Lupin to steal that stone in the first place? Don't pretend you didn't have ulterior motives."

Fujiko sighed.

"Not everything has to be about me."

Jigen's silence irked her.

Fujiko snorted.

"Unbelievable. If you must know, I've been writing to Teresa. We've been talking to each other over letters."

"So you're penpals?"

"Yes."

"Teresa?" Lupin asked.

Fujiko sighed.

"Teresa Faust. Her father was the one responsible for discovering the book of magic. You were there when the book was buried."

Lupin's eyes lit up in realisation.

"Yeah that's right. I had no idea you were writing to HER."

"We don't usually talk about work."

"Something happened to her didn't it?"

"The last we spoke she said she was kidnapped and her kidnappers wanted to get their hands on the philosopher's stone. She said it was for a man named Hannewald."

"Hannewald? Do you mean the same Hannewald who turned into that power-hungry golem?" Jigen asked.

"No," Lupin said. "He's dead. We saw it. This Hannewald must be his son. Why didn't you tell me?"

"If you knew someone else was involved would you have helped me?" Fujiko asked.

Lupin was silent. Jigen folded his arms the tip of his hat facing her.

"Where's the remote to the tv?" she asked.

Lupin grabbed it on the table in front of the couch and handed it to her.

Fujiko turned on the tv and switched the channel to the news. A news anchor was talking with Zenigata.

"So what's going to happen to the stone?" she asked.

"The philosopher's stone is going to be transported to a safe place from Lupin and his gang."

Lupin caught sight of police officers in the back transporting a glass case with a green stone inside heading for an armored truck.

"It could be a problem with the construction going on."

"Construction should stop by the time it reaches the next morning," Zenigata said.

Lupin grinned.

Jigen glanced at him.

"You're looking awfully smug. Looks like you have a plan."

Lupin walked over to where his phone was and made some calls to the towing company to retrieve what was left of the fiat.

After he was finished taking care of the call, he headed to his room to pull out maps. When he was finished planning out the route he went over it with the other three.

Jigen managed to pick up the fiat so Lupin could make repairs. With the damage done to the fiat it would take him all night just to get it to work properly.

With a tired sigh, Lupin decided to work on the Mercedes Benz instead. It was a slight improvement over the damage done to the fiat only having several bullet holes throughout the body of the car. He fabricated some metal parts replicating the exterior of a police car which Lupin placed in the car for tomorrow.

By the time he finished Lupin was ready to pass out.

"Lupin," Jigen said as he came walking inside with a tired slump.

"Not now. I'm heading to bed. We can discuss it in the morning. I'm exhausted."

He collapsed on the couch and was out for the night.

xoxoxo

The next morning Jigen and Goemon took a cab over to the city. After paying the driver they headed into an alleyway and removed a lid leading down to the sewer.

"Anytime there's a sewer why do I have to be the one to crawl in it?" Jigen grumbled under his breath.

Goemon pulled out the map guiding them to the place where the armored car was heading.

Jigen glanced at his watch. Soon the armored car would drop by.

On the surface, Zenigata was in the armored car glancing at his watch before looking around eyes darting from the glass case which held the stone and the floor to the other guards inside.

The car came to a stop.

Jigen opened the lid above them firing a gun to the bottom of the car. The bullet manifested thin metal arms which attached to the bottom of the car before it rotated. Thin metal arms drilled into the bottom before the sawed part of the car fell below.

"It's Lupin," Zenigata hissed.

Goemon helped him with a larger gun before he fired it in the car. A large object like a bowling pin dropped in the armored car smoke flaring out of it.

Zenigata covered his nose and mouth with his arm even as the guards collapsed around him. His preparation wasn't enough as the world blurred to black.

Goemon was about to climb inside when the sound of something hit the top of the car.

They heard voices coming from the front.

"I hear something. Someone's on top of the car."

"Aah!"

He heard the sound of someone getting kicked and a couple of bullets rang out.

Goemon managed to get inside the car and run towards the hatch near the back. Just as he opened the car someone kicked him from above sending him flying against the front of the car.

A loud beep came from behind.

"Hey you thief that's ours," Lupin called out from where he was seated in the police car behind them.

Jigen pointed his gun into the car and shot inside.

The armored car drove off again even as Lupin heard the sound of crunching metal.

Someone had taken the armored car hostage as it began to speed up.

Jigen hissed putting his gun down.

"D-mn it."

With determination, Lupin gritted his teeth. He had to catch up to it, Goemon and Zenigata were both inside.

He raced over to the armored car even as it picked up speed. Some of the other cops joined him in the pursuit.

Zenigata stirred from inside the car before he looked around. The guards were still out cold except now Goemon was unconscious and the stone was gone.

He looked over the small hole in the front of the car to see both drivers were out cold.

"Sh-t," he hissed.

Zenigata headed to the back of the car which was still wide open and clung to the door on the right making his way on top of the truck.

Lupin saw him from inside his car.

'Good he's awake.'

Zenigata walked careful steps over the top of the truck making his way to the driver's side of the car.

Lupin attempted to slow down from inside his car happy to leave the rest in Zenigata's hands.

His car continued at the same pace not slowing even for an instant.

"Sh-t"

He'd been so tired yesterday making repairs he hadn't bothered checking the damage to the internal engines. There was likely damage done causing the car to lose brake fluid.

Zenigata pushed the driver aside trying to get control of the steering. He hit the brakes with his right foot causing the car to screech to a stop. The doors in the back were propelled closed.

Lupin however ran straight into the armored car causing a nasty crunch sound.

Sharp pain ran up his right leg. His head spun.

He opened his eyes catching blood, the dizziness caught up to him before everything turned black.

xoxoxo

Fujiko came in after Zenigata had gone. Her smile was a comfort after everything.

She set a bouquet of roses on his bed.

"What happened?" Lupin asked.

"After the accident, I heard from Teresa. Hannewald's men managed to obtain the philosopher's stone."

"So they released her then?"

"Of course not. They think she probably hold important information regarding the stone."

"So what now?"

"Well you can't do anything confined in that bed. We'll do what we can. We're counting on you to get better."

Lupin sat up to gaze at her.

"Haha, I think I'll feel more better if you kiss me on the cheek."

Fujiko pushed him back on the bed before heading out.

She along with Zenigata visited him often much to Lupin's surprise. During those two weeks, he'd thought his silence would repel his company considering how awkward Zenigata was around other people without the distraction of talking.

Would it be possible for him to walk again? How would he work?

Lupin sighed. He couldn't dwell on it anymore. This sulking wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Pops, you never said what happened to that stone you were guarding."

"You're still dwelling on that? It's gone and even if you could get it back it would take at least a year before you can get back on your feet. By that time there should be a cell with your name on it."

He'd be there for his entire lifetime if the law had anything to say about it.

Lupin's eyes widened.

The fact Zenigata was talking about using his feet again meant he actually thought Lupin would walk again. When had Zenigata harbored such strong belief in him?

"Don't I get any last requests?"

"And what could you possibly want?"

"There's a book I want to read. It's 'The Book of Immortality by Theodore Faust'."

Once he'd dropped by with the book, Zenigata found himself asking Lupin about it.

"How far have you gotten in the book?"

"Oh a couple of paragraphs."

"You're slow."

"I've been tired."

This had gone on for months.

"How long are you going to keep that book? You haven't even got halfway through it yet," Zenigata snapped at him one day.

"I'd have thought you'd be happy I was taking my time. I might be planning something and that's never a good thing."

"Never mind that if you consider reading it so slowly I'll read it to you myself."

As time passed it had become routine for Zenigata to drop by to read the book. He'd sit on the corner of his bed holding the book in his right hand while stroking Lupin's left leg with his left.

The first time he'd done so, Lupin opened his mouth to retort but closed it promptly when he found himself staring at Zenigata like a fish out of water.

Once Lupin was out of the hospital, Zenigata insisted on taking him in to aid his recovery. One of those things was helping Lupin use the prosthetic leg the doctors gave him.

It was a painful process, one Lupin tried to avoid.

"One day I met the man while on the site. I spoke with him and he told me his name was Nicholas. He's the only one able to read the words inside. The words are an incantation that allows the properties of the philosopher's stone to work their magic curing such great remedies such as death, poisoning and paralysis."

Zenigata gazed up at Lupin who looked dreadfully bored.

"Are you even listening?"

"All you ever do is sit and yack and you say I'm the lazy one."

"You're the one who insists on laying in bed whenever I ask you to do anything."

"What good would it do? Every time I try there's too much pain. I'd rather not do it at all."

"Don't be stubborn. You won't ever be able to walk if you run away from a little pain."

Lupin's lips curled into a pout.

"Well sorry if I sound like a crybaby."

Zenigata persisted with the encouragement even as Lupin felt something nasty boiled in the pit of his stomach.

One day he snapped.

"Look I get it you think I can do this but I'm not doing this anymore."

"Lupin."

"Don't give me the 'Lupin' treatment and leave me alone."

When Zenigata insisted sticking around, Lupin threw anything he could get his hands on.

It was enough to discourage Zenigata from sticking around.

Before he knew it a year passed.

Jigen and Goemon dropped by one of Lupin's hideouts in France. Zenigata had been the one insisting Lupin stay there. Lupin had been resting in bed as the two stepped in his room.

"Looks like you're doing well despite being confined to the four walls."

"I know it's awful. Some days I feel like I'm going to suffocate."

"Well it wouldn't be quite right if you didn't feel that way," Goemon said.

"Maybe I should just give up. Little good it would do to keep trying. It's been hard enough mustering the motivation to even try."

Jigen paled.

"Lupin...you'd just give it up after all these years because you can't handle a little pain."

Lupin gritted his teeth.

"Some days it feels like I'm losing my leg all over again. I keep telling myself it's worth it but I can't stand the pain."

Jigen snorted in disgust.

"I never thought you'd be such a coward."

"Lupin, I'm disappointed in you," Goemon said.

Lupin sighed before they left.

xoxoxo

Several days passed before Fujiko dropped by. His eyes gazed at her with admiration.

"Fujicakes, did you come by just to see me?"

Fujiko glared at him.

"How long are you going to just sit in bed and waste your life away?"

Lupin's eyes widened and he gulped.

"Fujiko."

"Do you even care about the people around you or do you even care about that anymore?"

"You know how I feel."

Fujiko rolled her eyes.

"Don't even pretend you don't care. You can't expect people to wait around until you feel like confronting your baggage."

Lupin caught onto her mood.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Jigen and Goemon are missing. They were captured by Hannewald's men trying to rescue Teresa. Are you just going to wait until they die?"

"Fujiko, that's not-"

She headed out slamming the door behind her.

Zenigata stepped inside minutes later.

"Are you going to go after them?"

Lupin looked up at him.

"What would be the point?"

"I know you. They're your friends. You wouldn't just leave them," Zenigata said.

Lupin snorted turning away.

"They've gotten theirselves out of worser jams."

"Don't go," Zenigata pleaded.

Lupin turned to look at him with wide eyes. There was a desperation in his voice Lupin never heard before.

"You're in no position to do anything. If you go you'll be as good as dead and you can't die."

Lupin smiled.

"I won't go. You don't need to worry about that."

xoxoxo

It was three days since they been captured. Jigen and Goemon had been interrogated by Hannewald's men before being tied up in a room.

Neither had their weapons. Usually interrogation involved one or both getting bruised. Today was no exception.

Two of the men stepped in to question Goemon.

"Ready to talk?"

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Oh I believe you do. A couple of men like yourself wouldn't be after the philosopher's stone just to make a quick buck."

"That's just what it was."

The shorter of the goons grabbed Goemon by the chin holding a blade to his neck.

"Don't get snarky with us buddy."

Jigen shifted with restlessness.

"It was a favor. We didn't agree to it," he said.

"You expect me to believe that."

"You don't have to. The moment we're free you creeps are going to pay."

"Ah yes Lupin. You think he's going to show up?"

The two chuckled.

"Where's your precious Lupin now?"

Jigen spat in his face.

The taller of the two, Sigmone lifted his shirt and ran the knife over his stomach.

"You bastard."

Jigen folded over as one of them punched him in the gut.

The two men left without a word.

Jigen coughed.

"He got you good didn't he?"

"I hate this. If this stubborn idiot would listen to the doctor he'd already be out here walking with that prosthetic leg."

"Dwelling on Lupin isn't going to break us out of here."

"And that's what pisses me off the most."

Jigen continued to cough, his throat becoming sore.

"Jigen, I know you're-"

"If it wasn't for that idiot we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Jigen," Goemon called out.

"Oh whoops sorry."

"I know you're restless but you don't have your gun so stop griping about it."

The door burst open as the two men tossed Lupin inside.

He landed on his right leg and winced.

"Ouch that hurt."

The two slammed the door on him.

Lupin turned and saw Jigen gazing down at him.

"Oh look who dragged the monkey in. I don't know whether to call you a moron or an idiot. You're too stubborn to ever follow the doctor's orders yet you came here anyway."

"Hello to you too."

"What were you thinking coming here? You spent a little over a year in bed sulking over the loss of your damned leg even after Zenigata was trying to help you."

Only then did it strike Jigen. He looked where Lupin was lying down. He had two legs.

"You evil monkey. GET UP. You fooled them good didn't you?"

Lupin chuckled, pulling a knife from his jacket. He cut the bindings from Jigen's legs.

"How? Zenigata said you refused to accept his help."

"That's right."

"So how?"

Lupin smirked as he walked around to help cut through Goemon's bindings.

"Well what happens after you quit? You get up and try again."

He cut through the bindings around their arms before Lupin tossed Jigen his magnum.

"They captured that old man from before. What's his name again?"

"Nicholas," Lupin said. "It'll be nice to see him again."

He gazed at Goemon.

"Your sword is stored in the room next door. Jigen go with him. I have some business with Luther."

"Don't die," Jigen called to him with his back turned.

"I haven't yet."

Once Lupin left, Goemon removed his haori sliding the kimono off his shoulders before unraveling the bandages around his abdomen tearing off a section.

"Daisuke, remove your shirt."

Jigen opened his mouth to protest but found he couldn't retort.

He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt sliding it down his shoulders with a wince.

The blood has started to stick to the fabric.

Goemon gazed in Jigen's eyes before wrapping the bandages around his abdomen with deft hands.

He made certain the bandages were tight enough to stifle the blood ignoring Jigen's groans.

"You just love to torture me don't you?"

"Don't whine. One of the keys to a great warrior is when you're injured to grin and bear it."

xoxoxo

Lupin headed off to the room at the edge of the hall. The door was open a bit so Lupin could peek through. Nicolas and Teresa were tied up in the room as Luther hovered above them.

"What is the secret? My father was after the philosopher's stone for 15 years."

"I don't know," Nicholas said.

Luther turned towards Teresa.

"Your father was doing research on the philosopher's stone before he died. He wouldn't leave this world without telling his precious daughter."

"Wasn't it due to your father, he couldn't see his precious daughter?"

Luther turned with a snarl.

"How did you escape? The last time I saw you, you were barely standing on one leg let alone two."

"What can I say? I'm a bad penny."

Luther growled.

"What do you mean when you refer to my father? He's not some scumbag like you're trying to make him."

"Do you know how he died?"

Luther's eyes widened.

"What?"

"How he died. Do you know how he died?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Because your father died after getting ahold of the book of magic. The key to the secret of the philosopher's stone was written in that book but it burned along and was buried along with its secrets."

Jigen and Goemon burst in. Goemon held out his sword while Jigen pointed his revolver at Luther.

"You're trying to trick me."

Luther lunged towards Lupin and held a revolver towards his head.

"Make another move and he dies."

One of his guards who was hovering above Teresa moved his gun to aim at Luther.

"Sigmone what are you doing?" Luther asked.

The other goon held the gun pointed in Sigmone's direction.

Nicholas tripped the man with an outstretched foot causing him to fall forward.

"Release that man this instant."

Lupin's eyes lit up as he glanced at Sigmone.

"Pops! Is that you? What are you doing here?"

Zenigata ignored him.

"Drop your weapon. You're under arrest for the kidnapping of Nicholas Flamel and Teresa Faust."

"Who're you?"

"I'm Inspector Zenigata and I work for Interpol. You are holding a wanted criminal for ransom."

Lupin sighed.

"It's nice to know you care, pops."

Luther chuckled, the corners of his lips curled in a sly smirk.

"Why would you care if a wanted criminal dies? I figure it would be a relief to erase a blight on humanity."

"My opinion on him should be the least of your concerns considering your predicament."

Zenigata aimed the gun at Lupin.

Lupin's mouth dropped.

Luther smirked.

"Is that a threat?"

"Let him go."

"Or what?"

Zenigata fired the gun.

"Ha, you can't even aim."

Luther coughed up blood.

Lupin heard the sound of the body behind him hitting the floor.

"That isn't very nice, pops."

"You have no room to talk you knew exactly what you were getting yourself into."

"You did that on purpose."

"You didn't think I knew you had an ace up your sleeve. You just wanted to see my reaction."

Lupin sputtered.

"Do you really think so low of me?"

"I've known you for so long you left me no choice," Zenigata said.

Lupin chuckled revealing the gun in his right hand.

"You're right."

"How long were you going to keep it a secret? Did you ever need me in the end?" Zenigata asked.

Lupin snorted.

"I wanted to...give up I mean. It's because of you that I didn't."

With careful movements, Lupin got to his feet.

Zenigata chuckled.

"After you gave me so much trouble?"

Lupin grinned.

"I wanted to but then I thought 'what the hell'."


End file.
